The road to Saminaka is paved with memories None of which are mine Memories borrowed from friends. Of family holidays Friends like Femi, @kinffeosi, @asamsu, @micaleel and @alkayy Of Junction towns where women fry chicken Tales of cross-country journeys Of petticoat yam and crumbled yaji-spiced chicken skin Of Roadkill Of native chicken, cheap as chips and hanging in ‘surrender’ Butterflied, ‘dried’ and fried to crunchy crisp Stories of gizzards too Spiced with a fragrant, tasty peanut mix With Yam, boiled, battered and fried —–00000—–
Fruit & Tea: Green Tea with Sugarcane Juice, Watermelon & Mint
Embrace the ittars, the exotic scents of the Levant In tendrils of steam from the hammams of Turkey Rosewater. Orange Blossom. Jasmine Fragrances captured and essences preserved by ancient methods that go back to the Renaissance Experience the abundance of fragrances Get carried away with the heady notes and exotic dances of the Levant Captured in this home-made tea blend —–00000—–
How to Supreme an Orange
I think of him every time I’m here. Every time. Every single time. There’s something about this place that brings back a flood of memories. That makes me want to cry into my soup.
Traditional Nigerian Edo Egusi Soup
Egusi soup, in which I channel my inner ‘Edo‘ girl. My ‘Igarra‘ heritage. For this is the soup by which we are woken up on many a morning, ladled into yellow enamel bowls, motiffed with green leaves and rimmed in red. Covers clanging, hiding the pungent, fried scents of une, what we call locust beans and what the Yorubas call iru. The smell of the soup is undeniably ‘hometown’ to me. There’s something ‘local’, elemental. Its not soup I would expect to feast on in a city. No, this is the preserve of the grandmothers and aunts who have learnt from...
Ukodo – Nigerian Yam & Pepper Soup Pottage for New Year’s Day
A night-time conversation with D, my 6-year old has brought me here, to this point where I am writing an open letter to the world. To those who think Nigerian cuisine is no more than pepper. And I am not really on the offensive. Or defensive. I’m just in plain agreement as to how we could have arrived here and also how we need to pick a new destination, a different one to journey to…in 2014 and beyond. D and I are cracking the shells that encase seeds and spices, in preparation for whipping up a batch of pepper soup...
Welcome to 2014: Embracing Accomplishments/ My New Year’s Resolutions
My word for 2014: #Accomplished My phrase for the year 2013 was ‘Peace in Fulfillment’. Did I find it? To a large extent I did. Even with this post that almost wasn’t…thanks to unplanned downtime with my web host. I drove out earlier on in the evening. I needed time alone. To think. To clear my head. To cry if need be. My plan when I came back was to finish off this post….so when I tried to log on and I couldn’t get in, I was distraught. I eventually found out that there was some disruption in my host’s services....
On Food: Ten (10) Things I Ate, Loved, Learnt, Did and Made in 2013
Can you really put it down to #tenthings? Well? If push came to…this is what my #toptenfor2013 is! This year, I travelled aplenty. My plate and by air. Morocco. By plate. Edinburgh. Holland. Welwyn Garden City. Manhattan. Rye. Niagara Falls. Brighton. London. Geneva. Lagos. And these journeys, these explorations brought me face to face, and sometimes to mouth with some pretty awesome things. Like Uni.
Nigerian Condiments: Zobo/ Hibiscus Jelly
Failure doesn’t faze me. Its nothing new. Jams that won’t set are ….mere vestiges of the past. I forge on….determined. This Zobo Jelly is an example in point. I went back to the drawing board and ended up with something that was and is worthy of any table.
Christmas Dinners – Suya-Spiced Everything from Butternut Squash to Chicken
I have my own Mallam. My supplier of the Finest suya spice blend. I’ve know Mamanga for over a year since my friend B and I first ordered a whole Suya-Roasted ram from him. Yes, a whole ram for our personal consumption. Ok…well for us and our families….a grand total of 9 people.